With daughter in stands, Manpreet bounces back from CWG heartbreak to win bronze

Manpreet Kaur's 15-year-old daughter was in the stands to watch a special moment in her mother's career as the Indian shot-putter won bronze at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Friday.Speaking to Sony Sports Network after the event, Manpreet revealed that her daughter was there to watch her produce her bronze medal-winning effort.After the disappointment of finishing fourth at last month's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Manpreet bounced back to claim a place on the Asian Games podium with a best throw of 17.17m.Asian Games 2026: Medal Table | Updates from Sept 25 China's Song Jiayuan won gold with 19.40m, while Zhang Linru took silver with 18.14m. Manpreet's 17.17m was enough for bronze.The medal ended India's wait for a women's shot put medal at the Asian Games and gave Manpreet her first medal at the event. Manpreet Kaur finished third in the women's shotput final. (Image: Screengrab from results.asiangames2026.org) For the 31-year-old, it was also a chance to put the heartbreak of Glasgow behind her. Manpreet had finished fourth at the Commonwealth Games with a throw of 17.49m, narrowly missing out on the bronze medal.She had also finished fifth at the 2023 Asian Games with 16.25m. Her performance in Nagoya was therefore a significant improvement on her previous Asian Games result.Manpreet had been in good form before the Games. Earlier this year, she won the National Inter-State Athletics Championships with a throw of 17.75m, surpassing the Asian Games qualification standard of 16.25m.She was part of the Indian athletics contingent that trained at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo in the build-up to the Asian Games.A seven-time national champion, Manpreet has more than a decade of experience at the highest level of Indian athletics. She has represented India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games and has established herself as one of the country's leading women's shot putters.She won bronze at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships with a throw of 17.00m. Later that year, she finished fifth at the Asian Games with 16.25m.At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, she again came close to a medal, finishing fourth with 17.49m.Manpreet's personal best stands at 18.06m. She has also competed at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, finishing sixth in 2016 with a throw of 15.21m.Her strong domestic form continued in 2026 when she won the National Inter-State Athletics Championships with 17.75m. That effort was well beyond the 16.25m Asian Games qualification standard.Her record at major championships reflects her consistency. She is a seven-time national champion and a former Asian Athletics Championships bronze medallist, while also having competed at the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.Manpreet's preparations for the Asian Games were also supported by the government through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). She became a TOPS athlete in August 2026.Under TOPS, she received assistance for participation in multiple international competitions, including the Asian Athletics Championships and Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.She also received assistance for training at the National Coaching Camp as part of her Asian Games preparations.As part of her build-up to Nagoya, Manpreet received support for the pre-Asian Games training camp at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.During the current Asian Games cycle, she received financial assistance of Rs 25,000 under TOPS and Rs 2,65,678 under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC).Now, after the disappointment of Glasgow, Manpreet has another major international medal to show for her efforts.And with her 15-year-old daughter watching from the stands, her 17.17m throw in Nagoya became an even more memorable moment in the career of one of India's most experienced shot putters.- Ends